Former CM Babulal Marandi unanimously elected BJP Legislative Party leader in Jharkhand

After Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) merged into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in a mega ceremony on February 17, it was apparent that former Jharkhand Chief Minister Babulal Marandi would be entrusted with some major responsibility.

Just a week after merging his party with the BJP, Babulal Marandi was on Monday unanimously elected as leader of the BJP Legislative Party. The announcement came after a formal meeting of the BJP MLAs in Jharkhand.

Babulal Marandi's long exposure, vast experience in the politics and ability to rake up public issues are being cited as reasons by BJP's national general secretary Arun Singh for his election as the leader of opposition in Jharkhand Assembly.

Arun Singh also shared with the media that Babulal Marandi enjoys the confidence of all senior leaders like Prime Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda. Arun Singh added that the party will get the benefit of Babulal Marandi's experience.

He said legislators will give a letter to the office of Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato regarding the election of Marandi as the Leader of the BJP-LP following which the JVM-P leader will be announced Leader of the Opposition in the 81-member House.

Arun Singh said Marandi's name was proposed by MLA Anant Kumar Ojha, approved by MLAs Nilkanth Singh Munda and Biranchi Narayan, and supported by Kedar Hazra.

The Hemant Soren government in Jharkhand has not been up to the expectations on many fronts and Babulal Marandi knows how to struggle and go among the public with the relevant hardcore issues, Arun Singh said.

The BJP was looking for a tribal face ever since a humiliating defeat in the Jharkhand Assembly polls. Effable and easily approachable Babulal Marandi is considered to be a leader by the BJP who can bring back the lost glory.

The party general secretary also informed that the name of the BJP Jharkhand president would also be announced very soon. Speculations are rife that since the Leader of Opposition comes from a tribal background, the party president in Jharkhand could be from among the non-tribals.

Babulal Marandi headed the first BJP government in the state in 2000. He, however, quit the party following differences with the party leadership and floated JVM-P in 2006. The saffron party had not elected its Legislative Party leader after the state polls in November-December last year.

With the arrival of Marandi, the BJP's number has swelled to 26 in the Jharkhand Assembly. The ruling JMM-Congress-RJD has a combined strength of 47 in the House.